I'm Thinking it's a Sign
by crystal-gem-jessie
Summary: Everyone has a Soulmate and if you look at the tattoo on your wrist, you can see how much longer until you meet them. Unfortunately, Jake encountered his Soulmate on a busy street when he was a baby and now he has no idea who she is. When he starts a new job at a record store, he thinks he may meet her, but there's no way someone as nerdy as Amy could be his Soulmate. Nope. No way.
1. Prelude: Spirit

**AN:** Hey everyone! Welcome to _I'm Thinking It's a Sign_. Each chapter will be accompanied by a song and recommend you listen to that song as you read. The song for this chapter is "Bowspirit" by Balmorhea

* * *

 **Prelude: Spirit**

Ever since Jacob Peralta was three-years-old, he knew the importance of the little countdown clock that was (somehow) tattooed on his wrist since birth. It is also important to note that this little clock _does_ actually count down. On your skin. Your skin changes color by the _second_ to reflect an accurate time. "An accurate time to what?" you may ask. Well, it is universal knowledge that this tattoo-clock counts down to when you meet your "Soulmate". Jake's family preferred the term "Basherte" or "Basherter", but that was neither here nor there. Basically, it was the big-love-of-your-life kind of thing that Hollywood made thousands of movies about.

Most children would gossip and wonder what their Soulmate would be like in person. They'd calculate the day out and dream of the inevitable romantic meeting, some imagining fireworks and life-altering jolts to the heart. Some of Jake's friends would even play-act scenarios and plan their weddings. Jake, however, did not participate in these games.

Jake was one of many unfortunate people whose clock was at zero and had been for a very long time. The clock, while precise, has some serious flaws. For instance, when Jake was only a baby his mother took him for a walk around Time Square for a fun day out. Jake's mother, who had bad eyesight, had a very hard time reading the very teeny clock on teeny Jake's arm. She was under the impression he had another month to meet his "Basherte", but alas, that was not the case.

On April 11th of the first year of his life, at precisely 12:47pm, Jacob Peralta met his Soulmate. Except for the fact that he _didn't_. As Mrs. Peralta was rolling her little bundle of joy in his stroller past the Paramount theatre, she walked right past another stroller. This stroller contained Jake's Soulmate. The problem with the clock was that it didn't calculate the exact moment you first _meet_ someone, but the first time you're in close enough proximity to see them. There have been numerous accounts of people walking into huge crowds or spending the day at Disneyland and not being able to pinpoint where their Soulmate was. It wasn't until that night, when Mrs. Peralta was giving Jake a bath, that she realized his clock was at zero. This caused her to go into hysterics. When Jake was born it was made very clear to her that because his clock was set so low, it would be her duty to track down the other infant when the time was right. She was supposed to flag down the other parent and make sure they met back up when both of them were of a reasonable age to date. But she hadn't. And she was horrified.

Jake, being a forgiving and caring boy, never held any resentment towards his mother for her mistake. Whenever the topic of Soulmates came up, Mrs. Peralta's eyes would gloss over and Jake would have to calm her down.

"It's not a big deal, mom! I'll find my Basherte some other way!" he said with a sincere smile. It was true. There were a myriad of ways one could meet their Soulmate despite the problem that was known as the "Proximity Flaw". Soulmates that were affected by the Proximity Flaw would find each other again by other means. For one, they seemed to be attracted to each other (like magnets, but most of the time, yes they were attracted to each other sexually) and would feel pulls towards certain places. Many experts on the subject (of which there are _many_ ), site the overwhelming need to go to a particular college or the strong conviction to accept one job offer over another one as proof of the polarization of souls. Spiritualists would say these are examples of the soul calling out to its mate and even the most cynical of people couldn't deny the force when it came over them.

But how do you know you've found them? This is a topic as expansive as Biology. Sometimes a touch will set you a blaze. Sometimes the first kiss ties a knot around two hearts. Sometimes it's as simple as hearing them say your name. Pretty much every single poet in the entire world has written a poem on the moment they met their Soulmate. There's a bunch of beautiful metaphors and similes that try to describe it, but there are only two traits all of them have in common: 1. It's indescribable and 2. When it happens, you _know_.

Jake, though he was never as pumped up about it as the kids who still had ticking clocks, couldn't help but sometimes get wrapped up in it. It was exciting to know that somewhere out there was the absolute perfect person for you. Like most kids, Jake would fantasize about his _person_ and what she was like. She would be beautiful, _obviously_ and she'd like to play video games. She wouldn't be a nerd or a pencil-pusher, but super cool and chill about _everything_. She'd like music and think the world of him. Sometimes he would think of names he liked to see if any of them caused a reaction. Mostly, he would just list qualities he found attractive and assumed his Basherte would imbody all of those traits.

As Jake would soon find out, he couldn't have been more far off.

* * *

 **AN:** Hey everyone! So I'm back with a weird idea I had after browsing some Soulmate AUs. This fic is going to be very music based with a song every chapter and playlists in between. The music will be very much a part of the experience so I recommend having Spotify open lol.

I'm gonna be hella busy with grad school and my pre-school classes, so don't expect my usual fast paced updating. It just won't be possible haha. I'll do my best to do a chapter a week though.

This was basically a prologue so there will be some fun interactions and stuff next chapter.

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you like.

The title comes from "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service because I am Ben Gibbard trash.


	2. Chapter 1: 2 Atoms in a Molecule

**AN:** The song for this chapter is "2 Atoms in a Molecule" by Noah and the Whale. Listen while you read!

* * *

 **Chapter 1: 2 Atoms in a Molecule**

 _/Last night I had a dream we were inseparably entwined_

 _Like a piece of rope made out of two pieces of vine_

 _Held together, holding each other with no one else in mind_

 _Like 2 atoms in a molecule inseparably combined/_

Jake wasn't sure why he applied to Savage Vinyl in the first place. He wasn't looking for a job and he had his classes to worry about. He just wanted to take a look around the area, but he saw the "Now Hiring" sign in the window and he was compelled to pick up an application. He didn't even procrastinate, he just filled it out and brought it back right away.

The next day he got a call from the owner, a woman named Rosa, asking for an interview. He agreed and the next day he showed up at the store with a tie on.

* * *

"Alright, so your name's Jacob Peralta?" Rosa asked, with intense eyes. He wondered if she was glaring or if that was just her face. Still, her darkly lit and small office gave him little comfort. Plus, he was pretty sure there was a switch blade knife on her desk.

"I go by Jake, usually" Jake said formally. He didn't want to chance upsetting this woman because she could probably-most-certainly take him out.

"Jake. Got it. Okay, let's cut the small talk bull crap," She said leaning back on her chair and putting down his application, "You gonna steal stuff from the store?"

"Uh, no"

"Will you come in on time?"

"Probably not"

"Can you count money?"

"Yes"

"Can you lift 30 pounds?"

"Yeah"

"You gonna do what I say when I tell you to do it?"

"Yep. Too scared not too" Jake said, assuming honesty was best when dealing with Rosa.

"Good. You're hired. Come in tomorrow at 10:30am and I'll show you the ropes" she said and left the room, leaving Jake in the office by himself to ponder what just happened.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me you were looking for a job?" Charles asked when Jake told him. Jake kicked off his shoes and jumped onto his dorm bed. He had only been at college for a week, but him and his roommate, Charles Boyle, were already shaping up to be good buddies.

"I _wasn't_ looking for a job. I just saw the sign and decided to apply. The boss interviewed me and she gave it to me"

"So, let me get this straight. You, a college student who was _not_ looking for a job, just happens to land a job at a cool record store right next to the university with no prior job experience, in _this economy_?!" Charles asked.

"Yeah, so?"

"Jake! This could be it!"

"What could be it?" Jake asked, sitting up.

"Jakey, think about it. It was too easy and what's up with you just randomly filling out an application because you felt like it? Putting in job applications is duller than using grape jelly on your pb&j" Charles said. Jake's face scrunched up in confusion.

"What kind do you use?"

"Tomato jelly. With just the right amount of walnut butter, it's divine"

"Ew"

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. My point is, Jake, I think you were _compelled_ to work for that store"

"What? No. I just wanted some extra money" Jake said, brushing Charles off.

"No, no, I'm serious! I think you're probably going to meet your Soulmate there. What about your boss? Was she cute?" Charles asked eagerly.

"Objectively, she's an attractive woman, but there's no way she's my Soulmate" Jake said, remembering the scary aura he associated with her.

"How do you know?"

"I _know_ "

"Alright, well I'm telling you Jakey, you're going to meet your destiny at that store. Mark my words" Charles said as he sat down at his desk and began working on homework for the next day. Jake resumed his former position of lying on his bed with his hands behind his head and began to think. The more he thought about Charles' theory, the more he thought the theory could be right. He _did_ feel the urgent need to fill out the application. It didn't cross his mind until afterwards that this behavior was odd.

Jake took a deep breath in and let it out. An odd, nervous feeling mixed with excitement filled his tummy. What if he _was_ going to meet his Basherte there? What if Charles was right? Jake was pretty sure he was at this point.

* * *

" _Well, there's nothing I can do about it right now_ " he thought and commanded himself to think of other things.

 _/But then I woke from the dream to realize I was alone_

 _A tragic event I must admit but let's not be overblown_

 _I'm not trying to write a love song just a sad, pathetic moan_

 _Maybe I just need a change, maybe I just need a new cologne/_

Jake made sure to wake up early and to shower. He combed his hair and even wore a clean shirt instead of just picking one up off the floor. He examined himself in the mirror of the dorm bathroom and messed with his hair until it was perfect, but still pretty much the same because it was so short. He went to turn on the sink to splash his face with water, but stopped when he noticed his hand was shaking. He took a deep breath in.

" _Whoa, Jake, it's okay. Even if you had half a nose and one eyeball bigger than the other, your Basherte is still your Basherte. It's no big deal, you probably won't even meet her today_ " Jake reasoned. He started to calm down, but he also felt like he was wrong about meeting her today. He could feel a tug at the bottom of his heart that made his mouth go dry. Destiny was awaiting him and he could feel it.

* * *

 _/So now I look at love like being stabbed in the heart_

 _You torture each other from day to day and then one day you part_

 _Most of the time it's misery but there's some joy at the start_

 _Oh for that I'd say it's worth it, just use a blade that's short and sharp on me/_

It was a short walk to Savage Vinyl, but it felt like a hundred miles to Jake. Each step made his heart beat faster and at times he was tempted to run, but he controlled himself. Still, the closer he got to the store, the closer he felt to cataclysmic collision. This feeling wasn't nothing. It was real.

When he finally got to the store, Jake swore he was going to throw up, but he managed to hang on. He entered the store and found Rosa at the cashier counter. She waved him over and he obliged. The store was empty except for Rosa and the of racks that contained thousands of records. The store was huge and open with concrete walls and high ceilings. Posters of rock bands covered every wall and every surface was covered in stickers. It was actually a really cool place and he figured he'd shop there himself if he wasn't working there now.

"Hey" Rosa said as he approached the counter. She was diligently counting cash and separating stacks into neat piles. Today, she wasn't wearing her leather jacket and Jake was able to make out the clock on her arm:

"01:03:05:02:15:55"

She was going to meet her Soulmate in one year, three months, five days, two hours, fifteen minutes and fifty-five seconds. Jake let out a breath he had been holding and crossed Rosa off his suspect list. It wasn't her.

"You done staring at my wrist?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry, I just, um, I kind of have a feeling about this store" he said, still finding it hard to lie to this woman.

"What? Like, Soulmate crap?" she asked, her nose scrunched up in disgust.

"Yeah, like Soulmate crap" he admitted.

"Well, whatever. Just make sure you get your work done. I didn't hire you so you could hook up with some girl, I hired you to take people's money" she said with a threat in her eye.

"Aye, aye captain" he replied.

"We'll start in a minute. The other girl I hired is in the bathroom" Rosa said and Jake's heart stopped. The _other girl_?

" _Oh God, it's her isn't it?_ " he thought and he began straightening his tie. A wave of nerves washed over him. This was it. He was going to meet her.

Movement to his left made him turn and he saw a figure make its way towards him. At first all he could see was a bit of brown hair bobbing up and down from behind the racks of records, but soon enough, a pretty girl wearing an outfit that was way too professional came into view. She made her way to the counter and made eye contact with Jake.

His heart stopped and a fuzzy feeling clouded his head. He wasn't sure if something cosmic was happening or if he was just working himself up. He was confused, but if nothing else, he was certain about how pretty her eyes were. She smiled at him and another lightning bolt hit him.

"Hi, you must be Jake" she said pleasantly and outstretched her hand. Jake, slightly nervous about what could happen if he touched this girl, slowly brought his hand to hers and shook. Nothing. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved. In any case, it didn't mean much. There were other ways to " _know_ ".

"That's me, what's your name?" he asked with a smile.

"Amy Santiago" she said simply. They both seemed to be out of things to say and instead just kind of looked at each other for a minute. He wondered if she was thinking the same thing as him.

"Alright, both of you listen up. I'm gonna explain this and I'm gonna explain this once, so pay attention" Rosa said, breaking them out of their trance.

* * *

Over the next couple of hours Rosa gave both of them the tour of the store. The records were organized alphabetically by genre and they had a whole section of record players in one corner. She showed them the bathroom and the staff lounge, which was a cool, low-light hangout spot with couches and a record player they could play their favorite tracks on. Next she showed them how to do inventory and how to log. After that, she went over the cash register.

"Just make sure you count out your cash correctly. You better balance your till every night, you got it?" Rosa asked.

"Yes, ma'am! I sure do" Amy said, far too enthusiastically. Rosa gave her annoyed look and moved on.

"Oh, and make sure you smile and make the customer feel welcome or whatever" Rosa said and Jake wondered if retail was really the best place for her.

"Got it" Amy said with another enthusiastic smile. Boy, she sure was a teacher's pet. That wasn't exactly a trait Jake admired, but he brushed it off.

"We open in five minutes. You guys take the register and help each other out. I'll be doing some inventory if you need me" Rosa said as she darted towards the back of the store.

"She's something, huh?" Amy asked, turning to him.

"She's gone. You can chill" Jake said. How much of a kiss-ass was this girl?

"What? I'm chill. I just appreciate a strong woman"

"Yeah, I noticed" Jake said, trying to make a joke. It didn't land though and instead she looked a little hurt. He tried to change the subject and because he was flustered, he said the first thing that came to mind.

"So what's your countdown at?" he asked and immediately regretted it. Asking someone about their countdown was considered extremely rude, especially if you just met them. Amy was taken aback by the question, but didn't seem too offended. Actually, she looked like she expected this to come up. She nodded and a nervous expression overcame her. She pulled back her sleeve and showed him:

"00:00:00:00:00:00"

Jake's heart sank again. She really _could_ be his Basherte. He slowly slid back his sleeve and showed her his clock. She took a sharp inhale of breath.

"How old were you?" he asked, his voice a whisper.

"I was just a baby" she replied, her voice also low.

"So was I"

"Oh"

"Amy, I think—" Jake started, but was interrupted by the sound of bell chiming on the front door. It was the first customer of the day.

"Hi! Welcome! Let me know if you have any questions!" Amy basically shouted at him. The man gave her a half smile and quickly darted to the rock section.

* * *

They worked in silence, both of them thinking about the implications of their discoveries. Neither of them had experienced the "ah-ha" moment everyone promised them, but it certainly was beginning to look like they'd found each other.

The silence was finally broken when a customer came up to Jake's register to check out. He asked the man if he found everything okay and the man said he did. As Jake began to ring him up, Amy began making "ahem" noises.

"You sick, Amy?" Jake asked.

"No, it's just…you're doing it wrong" she said.

"What? No I'm not" Jake said as he proceeded to swipe the customer's card.

"No! You just charged him twice!" Amy said.

"He what?" the customer asked.

"Sorry about that, Sir. I can fix it" Amy said as she shuffled Jake off to the side. Dumb pride made the thrumming in his chest slow. Who was she just to take over? To her credit, she did know what she was doing and set the customer off happily, bur that didn't mean he felt any less stung by her invasion. He let it go though. After all, there was a good chance this was his Basherte.

That incident wasn't isolated, however. Every time a customer came up to Jake, Amy intervened and made Jake feel five inches tall. He knew she was just trying to help, but he also felt like she was _trying_ to one-up him.

Jake sighed and looked over at this strange girl. He went over in his mind the list of traits he wanted in a Soulmate. Beautiful? Check. Into video games? He doubted it. Not a nerd? Negative check. Not a pencil-pusher? Negative check. Super cool and chill? _Double_ negative check. Likes music? Inconclusive. Thinks the world of him? As far as he could tell, definitely not.

And so, based on the evidence, Jake came to a conclusion. There was no way that Amy Santiago was his Basherte.

 _/I mean if love is just a game then how come it's no fun_

 _If love is just a game how come I've never won_

 _I guess maybe it's possible I might be playing it wrong_

 _And that's why every time I roll the dice I always come undone/_

* * *

 **AN:** End of chapter 1! So I'm hoping the song lyrics make sense with what's happening in the story. I want to keep experimenting with it.

Thank you for reading and for your comments! They mean the world 3


	3. Chapter 2: Goodnight and Go

**AN** : The song for this chapter is "Goodnight and Go" by Imogen Heap. Listen while you read!

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Go – Amy**

 _/Skipping beats, blushing cheeks I am struggling/_

Amy Santiago was a baby when she "met" her Soulmate. Her father, who loved her very much, was aware of the time left on her countdown, but paid it no mind.

* * *

" _I don't care! She's too young to meet her Soulmate. That can only bring trouble, her knowing him so young. They'll meet and be crazy in love and then they'll do what bunnies do, then our little Amy will be fifteen and pregnant! No. No! The cosmos can have them bump into each other when she's thirty" said Robert Santiago. Robert was a man who also had seven sons and he was very aware about what his sons wanted from their Soulmates. He'd be damned if he let another boy do that to his only daughter._

 _"Honey, be reasonable. They don't have to meet until they're older. We can just hold on to his parent's phone number and call them once a year to check in. We should at least know how to get a hold of them" Maria, Amy's much more sensible mother, said._

 _"No! They can find each other later. The world will put them together eventually!"_

 _…and that was the end of that conversation._

* * *

Robert would later come to regret his decision to ignore the woman with a stroller on that April afternoon. Amy grew up to be a bit of a loner. She had a hard time making friends and Robert felt guilty he hadn't gotten the mother's number. The boy would have surely been a good playmate and his daughter wouldn't find herself so alone all the time.

Amy never resented him, though. In fact, she was somewhat glad to have not met her Soulmate as a child. She worried he wouldn't like her, since most people didn't. She knew that her Soulmate would love her no matter what, but she was still held by some irrational fear. She tried her best not to think about it and focused on her studies.

* * *

Then she met him, her Soulmate. They really were perfect for each other. He was smart, clean, organized, valued hard work, and respected rules. His countdown was at zero when he was a baby too and his mom wasn't able to find his Soulmate in the busy Time Square pavements. Obviously, they were meant for each other. It was Amy Santiago and Teddy Wells forever.

That was, until, the record store. She had been looking for a job and put in applications every where. College wasn't going to pay for itself, after all. She finally got a call from Savage Records. She got an interview and landed the job the same day. It felt like destiny. Like she was supposed to apply there. The day she started, she felt unbelievably nervous, like something huge was going to happen. It didn't make sense, but she felt herself being pulled, as if by a rope, to the store.

Then, she met Jake and she wondered if she made a mistake with Teddy. That big "fireworks-can't-feel-your-toes" explosion didn't happen, but she was so drawn to him. Every little feature she found attractive, even the imperfections. His teeth weren't perfect, yet his smile was the loveliest she had ever seen. She found herself stealing looks at his profile. Objectively, he had a big nose, but it was fine, preferred even. He was like a puzzle with parts that all fit together perfectly. Something about him just made sense. It was hard to look away.

Especially when he kept doing everything _wrong_. He'd count money _wrong_ , press _wrong_ buttons, and give the customers _wrong_ information. Naturally, she had to correct him. There was a moment there, on that first day, when they talked about their timers. It all seemed to fit.

…But she already had Teddy and it's not like Jake had given her that huge-explosion-of-light-and-butterflies either. She decided there was nothing there between them. She just thought he was handsome. That's all.

 _/Why d'ya have to be so cute?_

 _It's impossible to ignore you/_

Plus, she got the familiar sense he didn't _like_ being corrected so, the topic of _them_ coming up wasn't probable. Amy was sure he didn't like her and she doubted he would bring up Soulmates again.

* * *

The following day at work proved her wrong. Amy was working on organizing some inventory when Jake came in to talk to her.

"Hey" Jake said, as she placed a couple of vinyl records on a shelf. She was wearing a sweater and jeans in an effort to be more casual per Rosa's request.

"Hey, Jake. You on your break?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah" he said and an uneasy silence filled the room.

"Did you need something?" She asked, feeling distracted from her work.

"Right, yeah, look, I wasn't going to ask this, but I felt like I had to. So, our timers are both at zero and my friend thinks I was _compelled_ to apply to this store and I-"

"I've already met my Soulmate, if that's what your asking" Amy said as she put down her records and turned to face him.

"Oh, well I thought…sorry, after yesterday I kinda thought you were wondering to" Jake said.

"I'm sorry I gave you that impression. It's just Teddy and I were both babies at Times Square and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa red light! Your timer ran out at Times Square?" Jake asked.

"Yeah"

"Mine did too"

"When?"

" _April 11_ _th_ " and the date was said in unison. Jake and Amy stared at each other. Amy's head was spinning.

"Look, there were a lot of children at Times Square on that day, okay?" Amy said.

"Yeah, but how many of them are actually locals?" Jake asked. To this, Amy had no answer.

"Well, I've met my Soulmate so…"

"So, you felt the _thing_? Like, you _know_?" Jake asked and Amy had no idea what to make of his expression. She just knew she wanted to comfort him, make it better.

"Well, I mean, yeah" Amy said, but it felt like a lie as she said it.

"Oh, well if you know, you _know_ " Jake said, his face disappointed acceptance.

"Sorry" she said. Jake just waved her off and smiled.

"No big, you're too much of a nerd for me anyway" He said and she laughed.

"Whatever, you're just mad I'm better at simple math than you" Amy said as she continued her mundane task.

"Pfft, you wish," Jake said and Amy just rolled her eyes. She was putting away an album when it was suddenly snatched out of her hand, "Oh, shweet! I love Vampire Weekend"

"Are they good?" Amy asked.

"What do you mean, 'are they good'?" Jake asked.

"What do you think I mean?" Amy asked.

"What? Do you not know what they sound like?"

"Nope, never heard of them" Amy said simply. Jake shook his head in confusion.

"Amy, they won a Grammy. They're all over the radio! Y'know ' _got a little soul, the world is a cold, cold place to be'_?" Jake sang. Amy shook her head, oblivious.

"Doesn't ring a bell" she said. Jake was aghast.

"How could you possibly avoid that song?" Jake asked.

"I dunno. I don't really listen to music that much" Amy said and this made Jake explode.

"You WHAT? How does-How can you-but-MUSIC?" Jakes said, unable to form a sentence.

"Look, it's just not a priority"

"What do you listen to in the car?"

"NPR Podcasts" Amy said with a bright smile.

"Euugh, yeah there's no way we're Soulmates" Jake concluded and a very tiny part of her was hurt by the statement.

"Look, I'm sorry. Music doesn't really make me feel better or more calm or any of the other things people say it does. It's just people singing and playing instruments. It's not this crazy, magical thing that everyone makes it out to be" Amy said and Jake was full-on glaring at her now.

"Alright, Amy Santiago. You leave me no choice. I have to give you a music education. It's depressing how ignorant you are. In fact, I propose a wager" Jake said, the cogs in his mind turning.

"What?"

"Okay, I'm going to make you three mix CDs. One that will make you happy, one that will make you sad, and one that will turn you on-"

"Jake, no-"

"Jake, _yes_. If my mix CDs make you feel these emotions, you have to give up your podcasts for a month" Amy gasped.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Fine, but if your mixes don't make me feel those things, then _you_ haveto listen to my podcasts instead of music for a month" Amy said.

"You're a monster" Jake said.

"Do we have a deal, or what?" Amy asked.

"Deal" Jake said and they shook on it.

* * *

The next day, Jake came barreling towards her with his big, goofy grin and waving around a CD case. Amy was working the register and he placed the case down on top of the desk. The case was clear and she could see the CD inside which had "HAPPY MIX" scrawled on it.

"Your hand writing is appalling" She said.

"True, BUT my music taste is not! This mix will make you feel awesome anywhere, anytime—Peralta Guarantee" Jake said, still beaming. Then his faced shifted, as if a light had just come on and he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.

"What's that?" she asked.

"The list of songs! My goal, beyond keeping you far away from _podcasts_ , is to get you to actually like and discover music. Think of these mixes as a starting point for the intensive research you should be doing" Jake said, handing her the list.

Amy looked down at the small piece of paper and read the list:

 _1\. Shake It Out – Florence + the Machine_

 _2\. Horchata – Vampire Weekend_

 _3\. The Middle – Jimmy Eat World_

 _4\. Work This Body – WALK THE MOON_

 _5\. Wonder – Emeli Sandé, Naughty Boy_

 _6\. Grace Kelly – MIKA_

 _7\. Carried Away – Passion Pit_

 _8\. Float On – Modest Mouse_

 _9\. Never Gonna Leave You – Us The Duo_

 _10\. Cheap Sunglasses – RAC, Matthew Koma_

 _11\. Bungalow – Scott Helman_

 _12\. You and I – Ingrid Michaelson_

"Yep, never heard of any of these people" Amy said with shrug. Jake looked at her with dead-pan face.

"Seriously? Are you sure your parents didn't lock you in the highest room of the tallest tower for the entirety of your life?"

"Ha, ha. Alright, so what do you want me to do with this?" She asked.

"Well, you need to listen to it in full. You can listen to it in the car, or while you take a walk, whatever, you just can't break it up. Listen to the _whole_ thing. If you're in a better mood by the end of it, you have to be honest and tell me. That's it" Jake said.

"Sounds easy enough" Amy said and Jake's face was lit up with a grin.

* * *

 _/Follow you home, you've got your headphones on and you're dancing…/_

It didn't take Amy long to find an opportunity to listen to her playlist. Jake had suggested taking a walk while listening to it, so on her day off she decided to take a walk in central park. She put her headphones in her ears and pressed play on her phone (which had the downloaded songs on it).

It was a very nice walk and Amy had to admit, the songs were fun. Around song six she found herself stepping to the beat. By track nine she was basically skipping. The last song had completely done her in though, because she caught herself smiling as it ended.

" _Dammit! It was too cute though_ " Amy thought, but she couldn't deny it. Peralta had won this round.

* * *

 **AN** : Yay! I finally updated this! Life has been crazy and I've been working on another side project, but I'll try to get back to this.

The Vampire Weekend song that Jake sings to Amy is "Unbelievers"in case you were wondering.

All songs on the playlist are available on Spotify! If you listen to it, let me know what you think! Did it make you happy? Or does my music taste suck? I hope Jake's (my) taste of music isn't super OOC. I know he's more of a Top 40 kinda guy, but for this AU, let's just say he's into indie/alternative rock haha.

Big shout out to the B99 Network! Thanks for your help getting me over my writer's block. You guys are the best!

Thanks so much for your support and your comments everybody! They really mean a lot.


	4. Chapter 3: I Won't Give Up

**AN:** The song for this chapter is "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz. Listen while you read!

* * *

 **Chapter 3: I Won't Give Up**

 _/When I look into your eyes  
It's like watching the night sky  
Or a beautiful sunrise/_

Jake woke up with a song in his head. Jason Mraz. "I Won't Give Up". Crap.

Worse was that the song was accompanied by a dream. A dream about Amy. They happened frequently since they had met. The dreams weren't anything too concerning. Sometimes they would be fighting, sometimes laughing, and on one occasion, kissing, but nothing crazy. This dream was different though. It was heavy, full of some meaning Jake couldn't discern. He remembered it with precise detail.

 _He was in a hall way with lush red carpet and expensive art lining the walls. He'd never been in such a fancy place in his life. He looked down at himself and realized he was wearing a sick three-piece suit that seemed old as frick. He felt different. Like he wasn't himself, but he was._

 _He walked down the hall and heard music. He followed it and felt a familiar pull guide him. This "pull" led him to the second story of huge, expensive ballroom filled with people. Classical music, lots of violin, wafted in the air. Jake approached a banister to get a closer look. He placed his palms on the banister, which felt as expensive as it looked, and looked down at the party below him. It wasn't the kind of party he was used to, that was for sure. He felt like he had been transported to the inside of a history book. Women were wearing long, thick gowns, while the men were wearing vests and jackets with tales. They danced in unison as if it had all been choreographed._

 _The room itself was magnificent. There were huge windows that led out to inky-black night and chandeliers that glistened like diamonds. He felt so out of place. This was the most magnificent thing he had ever seen and it seemed too grand for the likes of him. Still, he let himself indulge in the experience._

 _A man approached him and gave him a firm pat on the back._

 _"Strapping young men ought to be dancing when there are so many ladies in want of a partner" the man said, his accent British. Jake felt his lips turn up in a smile._

 _"Of course, uncle" Jake said in a voice that wasn't his own. He looked down at the scene once more, his hands still clutching the banister, and then, he saw her._

 _A woman who seemed to glow, making the rest of the room dull and colorless. He stared and as if by fate, she raised her head to meet his eyes. Jake felt his breath catch in his throat. She was stunning. She was Amy._

 _…But she looked nothing like Amy. This woman had dark hair that curled in ringlets near her temples and light eyes that shined, but Jake was absolutely certain she was Amy. Jake began to move slowly down the staircase towards her, never breaking eye contact. The woman who was Amy looked at him like his existence was impossible and stayed still as a statue. She let him come closer and closer. A soft smirk appeared on Jake's face. A strong desire to dance with her came over him. He just wanted to hold her hand and confirm what he already knew. He neared her and she offered his hand. He was just about to cease it when…_

 _/_ _Well, I won't give up on us  
Even if the skies get rough/_

Jason Mraz. For whatever reason, he had woken up from his epic dream and a Jason Mraz song was his parting gift. Jake sat up from his bed and wiped sleep from his eyes. He quickly grabbed a pen and paper to scribble the dream down before he forgot it. This was normally something he would never do, but he felt like he needed to do this. After writing out the basics, Jake got up and sat down in front of his computer. He put on "I Won't Give Up" because " _dammit, it's still in my head"_ and pulled up Google:

" _Connection between Soulmates and dreams_ "

His search brought up hundreds of articles. He clicked the first link he saw:

* * *

Recent research suggests that over 70% of the population experience what experts call "past life memories" in their dreams. Research also suggests that nine out of ten of these "past life memories" have something to do with their Soulmates. One scientist even theorizes this is a way the soul can give its "host" clues on how to find its mate.

"You see, two souls that are paired have one objective, and that is to find its mate. The soul helps us find them in as many ways as it can. Sometimes it's a very physical reaction, very common, where just the slightest contact sets off, what I like to call the 'molecular reaction', and then other times, it's cerebral. That's what's happening with these dreams. We're seeing the soul tap into brain function when our conscious is taking a break. Our souls have a much easier time taking advantage of the sub-conscious, so they show us memories of past lives in our dreams. Our souls are sending us hints. They're giving us a picture of who are Soulmates were before so we can recognize them in this life" said Dr. Eismen, a leading researcher on Animology ( _The study of the Soul, not to be confused with Zoology, the study of animals_ ) at Princeton University.

* * *

" _Crap_ " Jake thought. He shouldn't be having "memory" dreams about a girl who already had her Soulmate. He went back to his Google search and tried another link.

* * *

 **What were some common traits of "past life memories"?**

"That's a wonderful question, I'm glad you asked. What we're finding in case studies and data analysis is that these dreams are _vivid_. You really feel like you're there. You can feel, you can smell, you can hear, you see everything with clarity, and your body doesn't feel useless, which is very common in non-recall dreams. Normally, if you try to write or run or anything that requires motor skills, you just can't do it, but in these dreams you can. Another really interesting trait we're finding is that most people experience soul-recognition in their dreams. Now, soul-recognition is when you see a person and you identify them as someone you know, but they do not have the same appearance as they do in your waking life. They're a different person and yet, they _are_ the person you know. If you're experiencing this, what's happening is you are seeing your Soulmate's past life. You are seeing the host they inhabited before they came upon the body you know now. It's fascinating. I had one man who had a dream where he met this huge, beefy wrestler and he instantly knew it was his new co-worker, Lisa. That's how they found out they were Soulmates. Soul-recognition dreams are especially common in people who don't experience that all-knowing big bang feeling upon first touch."

 **So this mechanism is another way souls call out to each other?**

"Yes, exactly. I have met many couples who said they both had "past life memory" dreams on the same night. Those are souls that desperately want to be together. It's the first rule of Animology: paired souls will not cease motion until collision. It's as tried and true as Newton's first law. Your Soulmate _will_ catch up with you."

\- Dr. Heshermen, _Brown University, Head of Animology_

* * *

" _Crap, crap crap_ " Jake thought. It was getting harder to deny the evidence before him. Maybe Amy really was his Basherte. He dreamed of her.

" _She's met her Soulmate, though_ " he thought, a lump forming in his throat. Why was he having "past life memories" of a girl who had already met her Soulmate? More worrying, why did he think his Basherte was someone who had never heard of the band Jimmy Eat World before? Still, his mind would constantly go back to her. Before sleep he would see the face she makes when she's working, something she always did with precision and care. A vision of her laughing haunted him most often. He had made her laugh a few times and when she did, his mind could recall every detail, like the way her eyes sparkled and how pleasant her laughter sounded. It was a sight that crept up on him during the most mundane of times. It would happen at breakfast when he was eating toast, or when he stopped paying attention to a lecture, or when he was walking back to his dorm. It was impossible to escape.

It wasn't just visions though. Just her presence was hypnotizing and being around her was so easy. He didn't like her much at first, but now it was like they've known each other for years. He thought about the last time they worked together.

* * *

 _Jake stood at the cashier's desk, waiting for his first break, when she came in. Her lips were scrunched up in a face that Jake came to recognize as her "annoyed face". When she saw Jake her face only scrunched up more and she came towards him. Jake grinned._

" _Oh, ho ho ho! Someone came in grumpy! That must mean my happy mix worked. Ironic as that may seem" Jake said._

" _Alright,_ fine. _I admit it, your mix put me in a good move. That bunnies and sweater song? That was basically cheating" Amy said, her face falling._

" _Ingrid Michaelson: my secret weapon"_

" _Well, it doesn't matter. There's no way your next mix is going to make me sad and there's a negative ten percent chance the last one will 'turn me on'" Amy said._

" _Oh, we'll see about that. My next mix is gonna make you so sad I'll have to talk you down from jumping off a tall building and y'know how I'm gonna do that?"_

" _Hmm?"_

" _I'll play you my sexy mix and it'll be so sexy that you come down from the ledge due to an intense need for my hot bod" Jake said. Amy promptly gave him a look of disgust._

" _You wish"_

" _No, I_ know _" Jake joked and she laughed. It was just a small chuckle, but it made Jake pause. The smile wiped from his face and he felt a familiar tension in his chest._

" _What's wrong?" Amy asked, concerned and his chest got tighter._

" _No, nothing. Just figuring how I'm going to keep you off me when I play you the sexy mix"_

 _Amy rolled her eyes and headed to her locker._

* * *

Interactions like that were pretty common. Jake would just tease the idea of them having a romantic relationship and Amy would play along, but shut it down regardless. In the end, he always felt terrible, but he kept doing it anyway. There was always a question hanging above them, but neither seemed braved enough to ask it.

After Jake's dream and his subsequent research, Jake decided they needed to talk. He at least needed to know if she had the same dream. If she did, then they _really_ needed to have a conversation.

…Because if Jake was being honest, he didn't believe Amy and Teddy were Soulmates at all.

 _/We've got a lot to learn  
God knows we're worth it  
No, I won't give up/_

* * *

The next morning Jake came into work nervous which, at this point, was standard. He had spent hours the day before working on the sad mix and also figuring out how he could bring up the dream without making himself sound like a creep who had weird dreams about co-workers.

He put his stuff away in his locker and asked Rosa where she needed him today.

"Help Amy put stuff in the racks" Rosa said, nodding to Amy's location. Jake obliged and started playing with the ends of his shirt.

"Hey Jake" Amy greeted as he approached her.

"Hey Ames" Jake said, using a nickname he'd never used before, but rolled off his tongue like he always had. He picked up a stack of records and began helping her put them away.

They worked in silence, but Jake always got the sense that they were both just about to say something. After several minutes of this, Jake felt the need to bring up the topic of dreams.

"So, have any weird dreams lately?" Jake asked, trying his best to sound casual, but just coming off as blunt. Amy shook her head.

"Nope, I normally don't remember my dreams. You?" she said easily and Jake felt betrayed. His heart broke as if it had. He had no idea it would hurt as bad as it did, but he did his best to look unaffected.

"Naw, just curious. Hey, I brought the second mix" Jake said, changing the subject as rapidly as he could.

"Oh, did you?"

"Yup, it's super depressing. Before listening to it I would advise having a lot of water and tissues on hand, because you don't want to get dehydrated from all the crying you'll be doing and also tissues so you can mop up all of the tears. You could slip and hurt yourself. You know from all of the tear-water coming from your eyes. 'Cuz it's so sad" Jake said, earning him a glare.

"Thank you for your concern" Amy said.

"Any time"

* * *

During their lunch hour, Jake went to grab his mix and lunch (a Snickers bar) from his locker. He found Amy sitting at the cheap table in the break room eating a sandwich. He handed her the mix.

"Oh, thanks" she said. Looking over the track list.

"Sure"

"You wrote little notes"

"Yeah, giving you some background" Jake said as he looked over what he had written:

SUPER DUPER SAD MIX

 **Cigarette Lighter Love Song [Live at Variety Theatre in Atlanta]** – Butch Walker ( _Live version is WAY sadder_ )

 **Someone Like You – Adele** ( _Classic_ )

 **Miserable at Best – Mayday Parade** ( _Title says it all: MISERABLE_ _You, after hearing this mix_ )

Hammers and Strings [A Lullaby] – Jack's Mannequin ( _About mental illness SUPER SAD!_ )

 **Fix You – Coldplay** ( _About Gwyneth Paltrow's dead dad, really sad_ )

 **Round Here – Counting Crows** ( _Not exactly sure what this song is about, but it's still VERY SAD_ )

 **Last Request – Paolo Nutini** ( _Paolo wants to boink for the last time because they're breaking up_ )

 **Say it to Me Now – Glen Hansard** ( _Watched a really boring movie and this song was in it. It was sad._ )

 **Alone Again [Naturally] – Gilbert O'Sullivan** ( _Oh boy, this song has it all: this dude was left at the alter, both of his parents died, and now he's doubting God's existence... THE TOTAL SAD PACKAGE_ )

 **Almost Lover – A Fine Frenzy** ( _Broken hearts and SADNESS_ )

 **Brothers on a Hotel Bed – Death Cab for Cutie** ( _Beautiful melodies, imagery rich lyrics, and a BUTT LOAD OF SAD_ )

 **Gravity – Sara Bareilles** ( _She hits a note so high that only dogs and people in utter despair_ _can hear it. That's why I saved it for last. So you can hear that note_ )

"So this mix is sad, huh?" Amy asked.

"Eh, a little" Jake said and they laughed.

Their laughter was disturbed when Rosa came in with something in her hand.

"Hey. Sunny Harbor gave me a bunch of free tickets to their Battle of the Bands thing. You can have some if you want" She said, throwing them on the table Amy was at.

"Thanks, Boss!" Jake called out, but Rosa had already left. Jake picked up one of the tickets and looked at it.

"Hey, it's tomorrow night, wanna go?" Jake asked, without thinking.

"Sure" Amy said easily.

"Cool, I'm gonna go to the uh, the thing, the wiz palace!" Jake said and he shot out of the room like a bullet.

" _Oh, crap! I think I just asked her on a date. Stupid!_ " Jake thought as he stormed to the bathroom. He barged in and leaned against the cool, tiled wall.

" _But she said 'yes'_ " said the optimist in his mind and Jake's heart felt light. She had. She _had_ said yes. Jake smiled.

Maybe he didn't have to give up just yet.

 _/_ _I'm still looking up, I'm still looking up/_

* * *

 **AN:** Yay! I had so much fun writing this chapter! It's kind of weird, but I like weird. I hope you like it too.

So the formatting looked really nice in word, but ao3 always messes it up so...sorry :(

So all the songs on the Sad Mix are on Spotify, except Cigarette Light Love Long. You have to go to Youtube and find the Atlanta one! It's great.

I'm always a slut for Jane Austen England.

Thanks so much for your support and comments! They seriously make my day, so thank you!


	5. Chapter 4: Drive

**AN** : The song for this chapter is "Drive" by Halsey. Listen while you read!

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Drive**

 _/All we do is drive_

 _All we do is think about the feelings that we hide/_

Amy looked down at her chicken on rye sandwich. It lay half-eaten, lettuce and tomato spilling out onto the crappy, rickety break room table. She had been excited to eat it all day, but now she had lost her appetite.

She did something bad. Real bad. She said "yes" to a date with Jake. She tried to rationalize to herself that it was casual, a hangout, and _not_ a date, but she felt guilty regardless. If she was honest, she knew there was something not quite platonic about them. If she was honest, she noticed Jake's eyes lingering on her for a little too long and she felt her eyes do they same when he wasn't looking. If she was honest, she was looking forward to their "hangout" more than she wanted to admit.

" _Honesty…_ " Amy thought. She knew _all_ about honesty. Especially since she seemed to be so good at avoiding it. It was one thing to accept a "platonic" outing with a boy who was _not_ her Soulmate, but she also lied to that boy about a shared dream. Yes, Amy had the dream as well and she lied about it. She had been having weird dreams for a while and 90% of them were about Jake and always in couple-y situations. The outcome was butterflies in her stomach and an anxious pounding in her head. This was concerning enough, but it was nothing compared to last night's dream.

* * *

 _Amy was dancing. Amy never danced, but this wasn't the kind of dancing she was normally so averse to. This was delicate, graceful, and intimate, even when the only parts of her partner she touched were his hands. She smiled at the young man before her. He was handsome with dark hair and dark eyes, and Amy felt a strong connection to him. A wave of realization washed over her and the name "William" appeared in her mind. A part of her brain she had never accessed told her William was a childhood friend._

 _Their hands touched as they spun in a circle and in step with at least fifteen other dancing couples. The music swelled with a sweet composition of string instruments and Amy was surprised at her own gracefulness. She was exhilarated. She knew every step and landed each one with precision. She felt dignified and lovely, just like a princess. When the song ended it was far too soon, but she turned to the band and applauded them with the rest of her company._

 _William took her hand and led her off the dance floor to a group of people engaged in a heated discussion. In the group, there was an older man with salt-and-pepper hair and his wife whom Amy immediately identified as William's parents. There was also a gentleman that Amy instantly recognized as her brother Louis, but in this life he was John and he was a family acquaintance. Next was a pretty girl named Alice, William's sister, and by her side was a younger girl named Anna, who was Alice's close friend._

 _William's father, Simon, was talking intensely, but stopped when he saw Amy and William approaching._

 _"Ah! Miss Doyle and William, still the handsomest of couple to dance, I see" he said._

 _"I scarce believe you watched, as you were so otherwise passionately engaged" William said with a teasing smile._

 _"The only ones 'passionately engaged', my dear boy, are the two of you" Simon said and the group laughed. Amy felt her cheeks turn pink._

 _"_ That's right _" she thought. William recently proposed and she had said 'yes'. She was over-the-moon happy. William was a good man and made 6,000 a year. She would live very well._

 _"Father, you torture us!" William said, but he laughed as well._

 _"Not at all. I knew from the day Miss Doyle was born my William would fall madly in love with her. It was just a matter of time!"_

 _"Father, I do wonder, are you happy we are engaged, or that you were right all along?" William asked and the group laughed again, enjoying the banter between father and son._

 _"Both, my dear boy, both" Simon said._

 _"I am curious. What were you all speaking of before we interrupted?" Amy, or Miss Charlotte Doyle as it dawned on her, asked._

 _"We were speaking of the phenomena occurring in town!" Anna piped in._

 _"_ Soulmates _, as it were" Simon said, rolling his eyes._

 _"Oh, I head about it! It was a Miss Caroline Richards and Mr. Alexander Harvey, was it not?" Amy asked._

 _"Oh! Many more than that, dear Charlotte! I have a cousin in London who claims there are at lease four and twenty reports of it!" Alice added, suddenly talking in a whisper._

 _"Nonsense! The whole business: ridiculous and ungodly" Simon said._

 _"But, father! There have been so many reports!"_

 _"Love-struck young people acting foolish as usual"_

 _"Oh, father!" Alice said, while the rest of them laughed._

 _"I did read that doctors in town have been flooded with cases surrounding strange sensations upon meeting a future companion" John said, trying to seem diplomatic, but Amy could tell it was for Alice's benefit. Amy wondered if he had feelings for her._

 _"Yes, John! The effected have said that it feels like the force of God going through them! Or as shocking as a lightening bolt, but without the pain! Just a deep understanding that you need to be with this person forever" Alice said, excited as ever._

 _"Nonsense!" Simon said._

 _"Well, I think it's terribly romantic!"_

 _"Further proof that you're as silly as the rest of them" Simon said. Amy laughed politely and put her hand on William's arm._

 _"I'm going to find my sister" she whispered to him. William nodded and brought her hand to his lips. She smiled and turned to the group to bow goodbye. She took about three steps away from them when she felt as if an invisible wall had gone up in front of her. She stopped dead and felt a strong pull telling her to look up. She complied._

 _That's when she saw him. A handsome gentleman with sandy blonde hair and green eyes looking at her with curious confusion on the second floor. Her breathing stopped and her feet stayed planted to the floor. The man began moving towards her and down the steps, all the while not breaking her gaze. He seemed as just as unable to look away as her. His approach felt long and slow, but couldn't have taken more than ten seconds. The room fell away as he got closer and closer._

 _When he finally got to her, Amy was sure she was going to faint from lack of oxygen. She took a deep breath in, breathing_ him _in. His eyes twinkled with the big smile that was forming on his face and she couldn't help but reciprocate it. Then a terrible wave of knowledge came over her._

 _"_ Jake! _" she thought and without her permission, her hand extended out to him. He was about to take it when…The blaring alarm on her clock went off and Amy woke up in a sweat._

* * *

Amy's sandwich still lay uneaten as she remembered her dream. Her appetite had vanished as quickly as Jake had when she accepted his invitation. What was she going to do? This wasn't fair to Teddy. She shouldn't be thinking of other men. It's not right.

…But she already said _yes_ to Jake and then the _dream_ -and Amy shoved the sandwich away from herself. She took a deep breath in and tried to rationalize everything. So Jake had asked her to a Battle of the Bands thing. Okay. He did it on the fly after Rosa gave them free tickets, it wasn't pre-meditated, it wasn't weighted with any particular meaning—it didn't have to be a date. They could just go as friends. Yes, friends and since they were friends she could text Teddy about it. She would be completely transparent and upfront about it.

" _You gonna be upfront about that dream?_ " she asked herself. She groaned and put her head in her hands. The dream had to stay secret. It would be cruel to bring it up. She could at least be truthful about where she was going though. Amy brought out her cell phone and sent a quick text to Teddy:

Amy:

 **Hey, I'm going to a Battle of the Band thing with my friend Jake tomorrow. Is that okay?**

She sent the text and then felt easier. She got a response back from him quickly.

Teddy:

 **Of course, babe! You don't need my permission :)**

This made her feel guilty. Teddy was such a great guy and here she was dreaming about another dude. She loved Teddy and none of this crazy, star-crossed lovers B.S. was going to work on her. She would go to the Battle of the Bands with Jake, but she would stay at arms length and after that, she'd make an effort to distance herself from him. It was the right thing to do.

 _/All we do is sit in silence waiting for a sign_

 _Sick and full of pride/_

* * *

Despite Amy's resolution to keep things strictly platonic with Jake, she found herself fretting over what to wear the night of the concert. She wanted to look nice, but not _date_ nice and not like she was going out for an interview. She settled on a burgundy leather jacket her best friend Kylie convinced her to get when she tried it on a whim, a white t-shirt, jeans, and some chunky boots. She examined herself in the mirror and was actually pretty satisfied. She looked at her phone to see how much time she had left to get ready and saw that Jake had texted her.

Jake:

 **Hey wanna carpool?**

Amy:

 **Yeah, if you're driving.**

Jake:

 **Fine but you owe me tacos from the tacos truck and not the cheap stuff! Im talkin FISH tacos and chips**

Amy:

 **Whatever. Just tell me what time you're coming.**

Jake:

 **Name of your sex tape lol**

Amy:

 **omg**

Jake:

 **Hows 7?**

Amy:

 **That's good.**

Amy sent him her address and evaluated herself in the mirror again. Maybe she should put on some lipstick. No, that was too much. Maybe just do her eyes and a lip gloss.

" _Ugh, being a girl is the worst_ " Amy thought and continued to battle with what to do with her face.

* * *

In the end she kept it simple, but it didn't stop Jake from smiling like an idiot when she jumped into the car. That look gave her goose bumps and she was already off to a bad start.

"You look nice!" Jake said sincerely.

"Thanks! You look…like you just wore what you always do" Amy said with some bitterness. He wore a plaid shirt, jeans, and his leather jacket: what he always wears.

"Yup, I put absolutely no thought into this outfit" he said, still smiling.

"Being a man must be like playing a video game on easy" Amy said.

"What now?" Jake asked.

"Nothing. Just drive"

"OOkay"

* * *

As they drove to the concert, Amy did her best to keep her eyes straight ahead and on the road. She didn't start conversations, but that didn't stop Jake.

"Have you listened to the sad mix yet?" he asked.

"Not yet. I've uploaded everything to my phone though so I'll be ready for optimal sadness anywhere I go" she said.

"I don't recommend listening to it in while you drive though. It'll probably make you drive off a cliff"

"You're really hyping up this mix up" Amy said with an eyebrow raised.

"Listen to it and you'll understand" he said, as confident as ever.

"We'll see. Do you know any of these bands? I've never heard of any of them"

"Not surprising seeing as you literally don't know any one" Jake said.

"Not true! I know _some_ bands" Amy said.

"Name one"

"Madonna"

"Oh my god. How old are you? Name a _rock_ band" Jake said.

"The Beatles"

"Well, can't argue with you there" Jake said with a shake of his head.

"Do you know any of the bands though?" Amy asked.

"I've heard _of_ them. A friend of a friend is the bassist in GooseBombs, though. They're all local garage bands, so none of them have agents or anything. I think talent scouts come to this thing though, so it's a big deal"

"Oh, wow that's cool. How do they 'battle' anyway?" Amy asked.

"I think there's judges, but they mostly go off of how nuts the crowd goes" Jake said.

"Oh" Amy said.

They chatted for the rest of the trip and Amy was surprised (and worried) about how easy the conversation was. Being with Jake was like…she didn't know, but it was something _familiar_. It made her anxious.

 _/All we do is drive/_

* * *

When they finally parked they had to walk about four blocks away from the club. Amy wished her boots didn't have as high of a heel as they did because now she was definitely going to have some nasty blisters.

The club itself was packed with twenty-somethings and all of them had greasy, colorful hair. A band was already playing and the noisy, jarring music filled the entire club just like the haze that the cheap fog machines were producing. Expensive laser lights and LEDs moved along to the music, while sweaty kids thrashed their bodies around and called it dancing. Amy longed for the romantic dancing she experienced in her dream, but that wasn't her world. Not anymore.

The music was loud and it was almost impossible to understand what the front man was singing, but still, she saw the allure. There was something in the loud chaos of the drums and guitar that got her adrenaline pumping.

"Hey you wabba wadda whoa?" Jake asked. Amy looked at him blankly.

"WHAT?!" she yelled. Jake, impatience showing on his face, leaned in to talk into her ear.

"Do you want a drink?!" he asked and his breath hit her ear. The contact made her shiver.

"We're too young for alcohol! They X'd out our hands, remember?" She yelled as she showed him the large black X's on the back side of her hands.

"I _know_ , Mother Teresa. Do you want water or soda or something?" Jake asked in her ear again and the closeness drove her crazy.

"Yeah! That sounds good!" Amy said and she followed him to the bar.

"What are you getting?" he asked without having to put his lips nearly against her ear.

"Diet coke" she said.

"Cool," Jake turned to the bartender who had just come over to him, "an orange soda and diet coke please"

"What? Hey! I can get my _own_ drink!" Amy said.

"I know! You get the next round and don't think I've forgotten about the fish tacos you owe me. I want extra Pico de Gonzo!" Jake said and Amy rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, you have to know that's wrong"

"What?" Jake asked.

"Never mind" Amy said. The bartender came back with their sodas and Jake passed her a diet coke. A pit formed in her stomach. Buying drinks was pretty date-y.

They walked to the outskirts of the pit and stood in front of a frame that separated the pit from the bar area. Amy put one hand on the wooden frame while Jake leaned on the beam that connected it. They listened to the band and sipped on their soda. Jake nodded along to the music and She found herself nodding with him. Amy was starting to warm-up to this kind of music. She didn't think she'd listen to it regularly or anything, but it had its good points.

" _So does Jake…_ " said an uninvited thought. Amy shook her head, but couldn't help but sneak a look at him. He was watching the band, bouncing along and smiling. It was charming. _He_ was charming. In his own goofy way. Amy sighed. This was wrong. She shouldn't be thinking stuff like this.

" _Teddy. I love Teddy_ " she told herself and decided to text him. She took her phone out of her pocket and saw that he had texted her twenty minutes ago.

Teddy:

 **Hey Amy, I'd really love to see you tonight. Meet at your dorm after your concert?**

Amy smiled. She knew what a text like that meant. She replied quickly.

Amy:

 **Sure. See you tonight ;)**

Amy's smile got wider. Winky-faces always got the message across. Teddy didn't respond right away so she put her phone back in her pocket. She took the last swig of her soda and threw it in a trash can next to Jake. Jake watched her and when she stood next to him again, he talked into her ear.

"Wanna dance?" he asked and Amy froze.

"I'm a bad dancer!" she yelled over the music.

"You literally just jump up and down!" Jake yelled back.

"That's it?"

"Maybe whip your hair a little?"

"Okay!" Amy said and Jake gave her a huge grin. Her heart leapt. Jake led the way to the pit and she followed. Jake wasted no time thrashing his body around like a maniac like everyone else. Some people were even being lifted up by the crowd. Amy was more conservative. She bounced up and down on her heels, awkward as ever.

"COME ON GET INTO IT!" Jake shouted and lightly shoved her.

"WHAT THE HELL MAN!" Amy shouted as she shoved him back.

"YEAH, NOW YOU'RE GETTING IT! WOOOO!" Jake said as he head-banged with such force Amy worried about his neck.

"YOU LOOK RIDICULOUS!"

"YOU LOOK RIDICULOUS 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT DOING IT! TITLE OF YOUR SEX TAPE!" Jake yelled and Amy shoved him again.

"FINE! I'LL DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO SHOW YOU HOW DUMB YOU LOOK!" Amy said and true to her word, she began thrashing around to the music. Never to do anything half-way, Amy even let her hair down so she could get the maximum head banging experience. After a bit of throwing her limbs everywhere, two hands grabbed her shoulders. She stopped and looked up at Jake, who was very close and touching her.

"WHAT?!" She asked. He grinned huge and went to her ear again.

"I had no idea you were such a freak Santiago!" he said and it earned him a powerful shove.

"SHUT UP!" She shouted, but he was laughing and she couldn't help but laugh with him. He looked at her with a soft look that put butterflies in her tummy.

Very suddenly, Jake's happy, soft face changed to something very serious and Amy felt scared. A hand gripped her wrist and pulled her with such force she nearly fell flat on her face, but she was able to stumble out of it.

"AUGH!" said a voice that Amy immediately recognized. She turned to where Jake was standing and realized he was no longer there. She looked down and found him on the floor with his face covered in blood. Amy came to him immediately.

"Holy crap! Jake what happened!?" She asked, frantic. Jake clutched his nose, which Amy realized was the source of the blood flow. He motioned to get out of the pit and Amy gave her hand to help him up. They quickly got to the back of the club, Jake still clutching his nose.

"I'm gonna get some paper towels!" Amy said and she ran to the woman's bathroom. She brought back a huge stack of paper towels and Jake started to clean himself up.

"Ugh, thanks" he said. Mopping up blood around his nostrils.

"Is your nose okay?" Amy asked, worried.

"Yeah, I don't think it's broken. It's gonna bruise like hell though" Jake said.

"What the hell happened?" Amy asked. Jake's expression became embarrassed and it confused her.

"Some douchebag with steel-toed boots was crowd surfing and the crowd basically threw him at us, so his boot hit my face. Then, he jumped right back into the pit before I could do anything" Jake said. He patted his nostrils with the paper towel and Amy was relieved to see the bleeding had stopped. Then a glaring realization hit her right in the face.

"Wait, was that why you moved me out of the way? So he wouldn't hit me?" Amy asked and Jake avoided her stare.

"Well, yeah. Super heroic, huh?" he said, falling back on his defensive humor. Amy ignored it and looked at him. Really looked at him. This guy had just taken a steel-toed boot to the face for her. His face was bloody and a bruise might have already been forming on his nose.

…And he was looking at her, searching her eyes for something. They were stuck in this moment for several seconds when Teddy's face popped into Amy's mind and she looked away.

 _/All we do is think about the feelings that we hide_

 _All we do is sit in silence waiting for a sign/_

"Thank you" Amy said in low voice.

"Don't mention it" Jake replied. A beat of silence.

"We should get you home. You need to ice your nose" Amy said, ever the responsible one.

"Yeah, I'm gonna wash my face first. Be back in a sec" Jake said and he disappeared to the bathroom. Amy leaned against the back wall of the club and let out a breath she had been holding. This whole thing with Jake was a disaster. She missed the old days when her entire romantic life was just Teddy. God, did this mean her romantic life was _more_ than Teddy?

"Crap" she mumbled. She pulled out her phone and prayed for a text from Teddy to put her back on track. Sweet Teddy who trusted her blindly to go to a concert with another man, even though he probably shouldn't have. She looked down at her phone and saw no new texts. That was odd. Teddy usually got back to her so fast.

Jake came back looking much better, but Amy could definitely see a purple splotch forming on the bridge of his nose.

* * *

They walked down the street towards Jake's car and Amy shivered. New York was getting into Polar Vortex season and she hated it. Despite the cold, Amy's head continued to swim in thoughts of Jake and Teddy. It wasn't until Jake started cracking jokes that she could snap out of it.

"Since I definitely saved your life tonight and since you definitely didn't get me my tacos, I think it's only fair that now you owe me _four_ fish tacos"

"What? No! I owe you a soda at best"

"You owe me like two sodas since I bought yours earlier" Jake said and Amy really was starting to owe Jake a lot.

"Fine! Two sodas and four fish tacos, happy?" Amy asked and Jake grinned again.

"Yup!"

"I'm starting to wonder if you took that boot to the face just for more free food"

"That's a legit possibility. I'm broke as a joke" Jake said. Amy laughed and she could tell Jake was looking at her.

"Okay, then I guess I can donate to the 'Feed Jake Peralta Fund' this one time, since you saved my life and all-"

"Amy…" Jake said and stopped walking. Amy, confused, stopped too.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked, but he didn't respond. He just looked at her with his dark eyes. He looked at her eyes and then his eyes flicked to her mouth. Amy felt her heart beat raise and she was suddenly aware of how close they were.

Then, Jake went for it. He tilted his head, leaned down, and for a brief moment, Amy leaned in as well.

…And she wanted it. She knew she did. She wanted to kiss him and hold him so close that she wouldn't know where he ended and she began. Amy felt Jake's breath on her lips and she swore her heart would explode. She closed her eyes.

 _ **Of course, babe! You don't need my permission :)**_

Amy snapped her eyes open and stepped away from Jake. Jake opened his eyes as well and when he saw her so far away he looked confused. And hurt. Amy felt her stomach twist in a knot.

"I'm so sorry, Jake. I can't" she said.

"Amy…you have to feel it. This can't just be me" Jake said and his voice was so serious, she thought her heart would break.

"Jake, I-It's not that I don't, but _Teddy_ -"

"It's not him" Jake said. The hurt in his voice made her want to cry.

"Jake, you don't know that" she said in almost a whisper.

"Amy, I know we were compelled to meet, I know I had a past life memory dream with you in it, I know how you make me feel" Jake said and Amy felt her eyes gloss over with tears.

"I'm so sorry" Amy said.

"Amy, look me in the eye and tell me you didn't have the dream. In England? All the fancy dresses and people dancing? Seeing each other?" Jake asked and Amy's wide-eyed expression was a good as a confession.

"Look, Jake, I had the dream too, but it doesn't necessarily mean-"

"You _know_ it does. Look, there's a way we can put this to rest. Amy, I think we should kiss" Jake said.

 _/Would it really kill you if we kissed?/_

"What?"

"It's like, the sure-fire way to know. If you don't feel it when you first touch or you don't have matching birthmarks or whatever, you can check by kissing. If you don't feel it at that moment, then you're not Soulmates. We can check now and get it out of the way"

Amy remembered the first time she kissed Teddy, how electric it was. She assumed that had to be _it_ , even though she figured it would feel bigger.

"I can't do that to Teddy" Amy said.

"I'm not saying you should cheat on him or anything. We should just do it quick, just to make sure. If it turns out we are Soulmates, then Amy we should _know_ " Jake said and Amy's face was tear-streaked.

"I can't"

"Amy-"

" _I love him!_ " Amy said, her voice cracking. Amy watched as something broke in Jake.

"You what?"

"I love him. And he loves me. I won't kiss someone else" she said and she had never seen such a sad face on Jake before. He shook his head and Amy thought she saw water in his eyes. He looked back at up at her with a ghost of a smile.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm being a jerk. Of course, um, I'll drop it. Sorry"

"Don't be sorry. You're not a jerk. You saved my life, remember?" she said and Jake smiled.

"Let's get you home" he said and they continued walking.

 _/It's so simple but we can't stay_

 _Overanalyze again/_

* * *

Jake pulled up to the sidewalk closest to the door to her dorm. The ride had been very silent and very tense, but they pulled through some how.

"Thanks for the ride" Amy said, her hand on the door handle.

"Anytime. Just don't forget the sodas and fish tacos" Jake joked.

"Yeah, like you'd let me forget" Amy said and Jake smiled a sad smile.

"See you at work tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow" Amy said as she got out of his car.

"Bye"

"Bye" she said and she waved. The car left and she watched it go for a couple of seconds. Her heart was heavy, but she also felt good. She did the right thing. She hoped that being with Teddy would make her feel better. She checked her phone again.

Teddy:

 **Hey, just got to your building. At your door.**

Amy:

 **Be there in a sec!**

 _/Your laugh echoes down the hallway_

 _Carves into my hollow chest,_

 _Spreads over the emptiness/_

She all but ran up the stairs, she was so excited to see him. She just wanted to be in his safe, warm arms. Tonight was…rough and it would be nice to spend some time with someone who cared about her.

Teddy was dutifully waiting for her at her front door and Amy already felt calmer.

"Hey hun!" she said as she went in to kiss him. He must have misinterpreted her intentions because he went for her cheek instead of her lips.

"Hey! Did you have fun at the concert?" He asked as she let them into her single room. She put her purse on her desk and sat down on her bed.

"Um, yeah! It was different" she said, not wanting to talk about it.

"Pretty different for you to go to a concert" Teddy agreed, sitting next her.

"Well, you know, just broadening my horizons" Amy said. She shrugged off her jacket. She wanted to forget about the concert. She _wanted_ to be with the man she fought for. She wasn't normally the one to initiate things, but she had something to prove to herself.

Amy got closer to Teddy and kissed him, her hands beginning to fumble with his belt buckle. She didn't get very far when Teddy backed away.

"What's wrong?" she asked, feeling worried. Something was different. Kissing Teddy didn't feel like _that_. Teddy let out a sad sigh.

"Amy, we need to talk"

"Teddy, you're freaking me out. What is it?" she asked, fear pumping through her veins.

"There's no easy way to say this, Amy, so I'm just gonna say it: I met my Soulmate" Teddy said, his eyes sad and guilty. Amy felt the ground crumble beneath her and it suddenly got hard to breath.

" _What?_ " Amy asked, surprised she was able to get that much out.

"I'm so sorry, Amy. I met her in my Biology class and we both felt something. I accidently bumped into her when we went to get safety goggles and now, everything is different. Amy, it _hurts_ to be away from her. I'm so sorry this happened, Amy. I never meant to hurt you-"

"I need you to leave, please" Amy said, her chest feeling like it was about to collapse.

"Aw, Amy, please don't be mad. I still really care about you and I want us to be friends-"

"I'm not mad, but I just _really need you to leave_ " Amy said and within seconds he was gone.

Amy couldn't believe it. She had given up everything. _Everything_. And Jake. Oh god, _Jake_. The pain in her chest had escalated to levels she couldn't have imagined and all she could do was get in her pajamas, turn off all the lights, and grab her headphones. She got into her bed with the covers all the way up. She put her headphones in her ears and plugged them into her phone. She scrolled through her small music library until she hit "SUPER DUPER SAD MIX :("

She pressed play and two songs in, she couldn't stop crying.

 _/All we do is drive/_

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry for the delay, but hopefully I made up for it in this giant chapter.

Things got really angsty there, but don't worry ;)

Thanks as always for the reviews and favorites. You're all lovely!


	6. Chapter 5: Do I Wanna Know?

**AN:** The song for this chapter is "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys. Listen while you read!

* * *

Chapter 5: Do I Wanna Know?

Jake touched the bridge of his nose with a cautious finger. Upon contact he winced. His poor schnoz had certainly taken a beating last night, but his act of bravery went unrewarded. Even with his big romantic gesture, Jake still didn't get the girl. He can't say he regretted it though. There were much more painful things he would endure if it meant Amy was safe.

Jake groaned.

" _How am I this whipped?_ " he thought as he winced again, but this time the pain had nothing to do with his nose. Jake lied flat on his dorm bed with the covers half covering him and striped sunlight gently creeping in from the blinds as he plucked up the energy to sit up. He failed for the first few minutes, but he managed eventually. He dreaded going to the mirror and seeing the terrible mess that he would undoubtedly find on his face. He wiped his eyes and his hand accidently bumped into his nose.

"Ahh!" he exclaimed and his fear of his image in the mirror grew. He sighed and stood up from his bead. He stumbled his way into the bathroom and deliberately looked down as he entered. He stared at the sink from moments or minutes before finally taking in a deep breath and raising his head to meet his own eyes.

Jake groaned again. It was bad. Real bad. With the exception of his nostrils and the tip, his entire nose was covered in angry, purpley-black splotches. Jake always knew his nose wasn't the _most_ petite around, but he certainly couldn't deny its size now. It was as if his face was a feature of his nose, instead of the other way around. He _was_ a nose.

"Damn it" Jake mumbled under his breath. What was he going to do about this? Put a bandage on it? And what? Make his nose even bigger? Should he get make-up? Putting it on would be torture and where the hell would he get some?

Or maybe he was thinking about this all wrong. In a certain light it actually looked kind of _badass_. If people asked about it he could manipulate the truth to make it sound cooler than it was.

" _Oh, this guy was going to hurt a lady friend of mine and I had to, y'know, step in. I only did what anyone would do"_ certainly sounded better than " _I was in a pit and this guy wearing military-grade boots hit me right in the honker after I moved my friend (who is most definitely my Soulmate, but doesn't believe I am her Soulmate) from danger, but even after all that she's still sticking with the guy who is definitely not her Soulmate_ "

Yeah, version one is way cooler.

Jake decided to leave his nose as is and if any one asked about it he would keep it vague. As he brushed his teeth and got ready for work, Jake's mind began remembering the night before. The glances full of meaning, the almost kiss, and then, the worst part, Amy's verbal declaration of devotion to her lover seeped into Jake's mind like oil spilling into an ocean. His body felt heavy and a strong desire to crawl back into bed overcame him. The last thing he wanted to do was go to work to see the girl who had rejected him so fully. What would they say to each other? How should they continue on?

Jake didn't have the answer. He shook his head and tried to think of anything else, but failed miserably.

* * *

Seeing Amy at work was just as painful as expected, if not worse. Amy could barely look at him and Jake felt slicing sensations in his chest whenever she was near. They only talked when needed and each word was so saccharinely polite that Jake worried his teeth would rot.

To top it all, customers kept staring at his nose, which made him want to punch somebody. Jake was having a bad enough day with the awkward tension between him and Amy, he didn't need disapproving looks from strangers in addition. He tried not to be so aware of her, but that was impossible. Amy was like a beacon of light: impossible to ignore. There was also something up with her energy. She was different. She constantly looked down, but Jake noticed her eyes had bags and were bloodshot. Jake wondered if she'd been crying all night.

" _Why? She wasn't the one who was rejected_ " Jake thought, but it only made him worry. Was she upset for hurting him? If that were the case, he felt horribly guilty. He never wanted to hurt her. Or was it something else? If so, it sucked not being able to comfort her. He resigned himself to silence, however, as it wasn't his place to comfort her. It was Teddy's.

* * *

Over the next week they carried on in their cordial-but-distanced relationship, never getting in a more personal conversation than "How are you?" and "Good". Savage Vinyl felt a lot colder suddenly, and not just because it was winter in Brooklyn. Jake was getting increasingly worried about Amy as the days went on. Something was up with her and he had a hunch it had more to do than just their little interaction. He had never seen her so down.

" _Maybe I should just ask her?_ " he thought, but the prospect of that made his stomach drop. The prospect of interacting with Amy at all made his chest tighten and his head get foggy. It was like preparing yourself to be tortured. He'd either be reminded how wonderful she was and/or that she didn't want him. All leading to excruciating emotional pain.

" _But I can't do nothing_ " he thought as he began filing records in "rock" section. Just as he was despairing at what to do, Jake looked at the next record in his hand. It was black with nothing but one white wavelength traversing across it.

" _That's right…_ " he thought, remembering he had used a song from this album on Amy's third mix. He had finished that mix before the other two. He wanted to save the best for last, but it never seemed appropriate to give it to her, though he did keep it stashed away in his backpack. Maybe he could just give it to her as a way of saying sorry? An olive branch of sorts.

On his lunch break, Jake found his mix and a perforated note book jammed in the bottom of his backpack to write a note on. He grabbed a pen that lay abandoned on the rickety break room table and began to scrawl a letter to Amy. He got as far as "Hey Amy," before getting stumped. What did he say? He didn't want to seem like he was still hung up on her (which he was), but he also didn't want to sound cold. It took a couple of rewrites, but he figured something out that seemed balanced enough:

" _Hey Amy,_

 _I noticed you seemed kinda down lately. Hope you're okay. I realized I never gave you your last mix, which, don't forget, is meant to get you hot and bothered, and who can be down when they're hot and bothered, AMIRIGHT? So yeah, let's call off the bet. I don't want you to have to go without your NPR podcasts for a whole month (which you would have). Truce! Hopefully, through this wonderful musical adventure, you have seen the light and will be jammin' to tunes in your car more often._

 _Tell me what you think!_

 _Jake"_

Jake fished out the track list from his pocket and slid it in the cd case. He looked at the mix:

Young God – Halsey

Do I Wanna Know? – Arctic Monkeys

Toes – Glass Animals

To Be Alone – Hozier

Often – The Weeknd

Toxic – Yael Naim

Ball and Biscuit – The White Stripes

Sex on Fire – Kings of Leon

Criminal – Fiona Apple (watch music vid for EXTRA sexy)

Off to the Races – Lana Del Rey

Addicted to Love – Florence + the Machine

You're the One That I Want – Lo-Fang

Bad Intentions – Niykee Heaton

Yup. That was a good mix. Jake smiled. He wished he could share this mix with her in a different way. This mix wasn't meant to be shoved in a locker like a smelly gym shirt. It was meant to be listened to as two people slowly peeled their clothes off and let them drop to the floor. This thought brought on a whole onslaught of uninvited thoughts to Jake's mind:

 _He saw himself playing the mix and breathing heavy as a scantily-clad Amy looked at him with "come here" eyes. He watched himself walk slowly to her, his blood pumping in his ears nearly canceling out the music with its intensity. As he got closer, he watched Amy's breath hitch in anticipation and he stopped breathing as well. When they were separated by only the thinnest slice of air, Jake outreached a hand to her neck to just lightly graze his finger tips along it. The motion gave Amy goose bumps and the goose bumps made Jake's stomach drop. His palm landed on her cheek with his thumb on her jaw as his lips steadily got closer to hers. His eyes slowly closed and his chest filled with a liquid warmth that radiated out from his body. He felt Amy's breathe on his lips and her body heat getting closer and closer. He could hear her heartbeat as he-_

"Jake!" said a voice that violently shook him out of his daydream.

"Wha-?" he said, disoriented.

"Your break's been over for five minutes. Get back on the floor. Now" Rosa said with eyes like knives. Jake snapped up with the CD.

"Sorry! Just got to put this away! Be out there in a sec!" Jake said in a panicky voice. He rushed to the lockers and placed the CD and note in Amy's locker.

* * *

After his little daydream, Jake had a hard time working. He couldn't keep his head straight as snapshots of the vision kept popping up in his mind. Each picture would send his heart rate skyrocketing and organizing cassette tapes became impossible. Still, he did his best. When Amy would come into his mind he thought of the least-sexy thing he could: dead puppies, grandmas, broccoli, and so on. This method worked fairly well and he continued his work.

As the day dragged on, the winds outside began picking up. They got so loud that it sounded like chorus of moans reaching over from the afterlife. It sounded like it had begun to rain as well. Jake briefly mused that it may snow after sunset. He finally finished stocking the store when Rosa called him over to the front desk. He obeyed and stood next to Amy behind the counter, his pulse racing from just being near her.

Rosa faced them from the opposite side of the desk. She was putting on her coat even though the store was open for another three hours.

"Where you off to?" Jake asked.

"None of your business, Peralta. Look, I've got plans tonight so I need you two to close up," she said throwing Amy the keys, "Where are you on stocking?"

"Just finished" Jake said.

"Good. Then all you need to do is watch the counter. Call me if there's a problem. Don't screw up" Rosa said right before she braved the storm brewing outside.

A powerful gust of wind rattled the glass and black metal doors that was entrance to the store. Jake and Amy silently watched the doors as Jake began to realize that they were all alone. They hadn't had a customer in at least thirty minutes. No one wanted to go to a record store with the weather like this, but Rosa would never close her store early for something as wussy as a storm and the end product was Jake and Amy alone. _Together_.

Jake felt himself break out into a sweat. Being alone with Amy was bad news. He was still so hurt from her rejection, but he couldn't shake the cosmic attraction he felt towards her. He couldn't stop _wanting_ her. Every time he looked at her he swore he saw white light emanating from her and he wanted to bathe in that light. He cursed himself and the world. How could he have such feelings if they were for naught? They felt prophetic, destined, fateful, but still, Amy was only to be a friend.

She said she was in love with Teddy, not him, so he needed to leave her alone. He needed to destroy his feelings and move on. He didn't have much hope that he could, however.

"Hey, Jake?" Amy asked.

"Hm?"

"Thanks for the mix," she paused, "…and the note"

"Oh yeah, I didn't want to give up on your musical education"

"Thanks for looking out" she said with a smile.

"Anytime. What'd you think of the sad mix?" he asked.

"Total bummer"

"Told ya" he said with a small smile that Amy reciprocated. For one quiet moment they looked at each other, both trying to understand something, but Jake broke it off before he could get the answer to a question he never asked.

* * *

Though all their side work was done, Jake and Amy kept themselves busy away from each other. Jake had decided to take inventory of everything on the floor when the lights went out. Jake let out a shriek.

"Jake?!" Amy shouted from across the store.

"What happened?" Jake asked as a little blue light erupted from the corner. It approached him and he realized it was Amy and her iPhone.

"The power went out" she said.

"We should call Rosa" Jake said. Amy nodded. She began searching her phone for Rosa's contact when Jake and Amy's both made loud, terrible noises.

Jake pulled out his phone and read the message across his screen:

 **EMERGENCY ALERT: Blizzard warning. Rolling blackouts. Winds at 35 MPH. Conditions worsen. Do NOT travel.**

"Crap, is it that bad?" Jake asked.

"I was worried about this" Amy said. She started towards the glass doors and looked out. Jake followed her.

Outside was far worse than he realized. The wind pounded against the door like a criminal trying to get out of his jail cell. Snow came down in such quantities that Jake could barely see five feet past the door. The door itself had at least two feet of snow against the paned glass. Jake usually walked to work, but he didn't dare go out in that. They were trapped.

" _Crap_ " Amy said, biting on a thumb nail.

"What should we do?" Jake asked. Amy looked at him, the gears in her head turning as she came up with a plan.

"Call Rosa. Let her know what's happening and convince her _not_ to get us. She's stubborn enough to think she'll be fine driving us home in a storm like this. Then, find some candles, blankets, and food if we can. We might be here all night" Amy reasoned and Jake felt his mouth go dry.

"All night?" he asked and immediately understood how dangerous that was. Alone in a candlelight store, getting cozy with Amy Santiago? He could think of nothing more destructive.

"Yeah, it's not safe out there. Ugh! When will people realize we need to reduce carbon emissions so that freak storms like this _stop happening_!" Amy exclaimed as she furiously searched for Rosa's number.

"NPR podcast?" Jake asked.

"No. StarTalk with Neil Degrasse Tyson. Bill Nye the Science Guy frequently guest stars to talk about climate change" Amy said with a triumphant smirk.

"Neat" Jake said sarcastically, though still smiling that particular smile he reserved for teasing Amy.

"Can you start collecting rations?" Amy asked as she put the phone to her ear. Jake nodded and headed to the back. A tickling nervousness grew in his chest. Being alone with Amy filled Jake with dread, but also excitement. He knew nothing could happen between them, but this situation felt like some opportunity to be _reckless_.

Jake took a big breath and exhaled. He needed to stop thoughts like that. Amy had made her feelings very clear and he needed to respect them.

" _You can't give up!_ " a part of him said. That was the problem. He still held onto hope. How could he not when his head was filled with easy ways of kissing her and his dreams further mocked him with their past life together. She was everything to him, but in a turn of events contradictory to the narrative he had been told all his life, she didn't reciprocate his devotion.

It was agonizing. Every day was agonizing. He worried his organs would tear themselves in two if he wasn't with her. His every atom reached out in her direction when she was near. _How did she not sense it too?_

Jake pushed passed his growing sense of despair and scavenged Rosa's office for supplies. He found three scented candles on Rosa's desk that included "Sandalwood", "Vanilla", and "Jasmine". He peeked in Rosa's small, personal fridge and found four water bottles, carrots, ranch dressing, and a bag of grapes. Not exactly a feast, but they'd make it through the night.

He continued searching through Rosa's office, but found nothing like a blanket. He checked the storage room and the break room, but still came up empty. He placed his bounty on the break room table and realized he didn't have a lighter for the candles. He was about to go on another search when Amy bounced in with her blue-ish ghost light.

"What'd you find?" she asked, facing her light on the table.

"Candles, carrots, ranch, and grapes. Can't find a blanket anywhere and I don't have a lighter" he said.

"I got one" she said, pulling a cheap, red Bic lighter out of her jean pocket. She flicked it like an old pro and lighted each candle. The air began to fill with a pleasant scent that made Jake's muscles relax and his skin more aware of the warm body beside him.

The warm glow of the candles lit Amy's skin like a golden temple in the sun. She looked down at the candles and Jake watched her breathe, watched her long lashes lay gently on her cheeks. She was radiant and and all she had to do was be.

Sinking, tearing, falling sensations filled him. It would be so easy to reach out and touch her. It would be like drinking after days without water or sleep after hours of wakefulness: the cure to his ailments.

"Now what?" she asked, looking around the small break room.

"Chill, I guess" Jake said as he sat on the dusty sofa on the north side of the room. Amy let out a small "hm" and began looking around the break room. She checked in cupboards and under furniture, inspecting items as she went along.

"What are you looking for?" Jake asked.

"Entertainment" she said.

"You're not great with this whole 'chill' thing, are you?"

"Not really. Hey, look!" Amy said as she pulled a CD player from a box in the corner.

"What?"

"It's a CD player! I think it runs on batteries" Amy said as she fiddled with it. Indeed, after a moment, fuzzy radio sounds began erupting from the player.

"Oh, cool, it works. Want to see if we have any "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" audio books?" Jake asked, teasing her. Amy rolled her eyes.

" _No!_ Well, I was thinking…Your mix is in my locker" Amy said, her face flushing slightly.

"Oh, right" Jake said and began to feel nervous.

"We could listen to that. I've been wanting to listen to it all day" she confessed, looking even more flushed than before.

"Oh, uh, yeah we could, uh, listen to that" Jake said as his palms began to tremble ever so slightly.

"I'll go get it" Amy said. She whisked out of the room and Jake immediately stood up from the couch. He began pacing and playing with his hands.

" _Calm down, Jake. Calm Down! You're reading too much into this. She isn't making a pass at you._ She isn't making a pass at you!" Jake thought with increasing panic. Could it be possible? Suggesting to listen to a mix meant to set a sexy mood sure didn't seem innocent. The thought made Jake's heart race.

Amy came back into the break room and Jake quickly turned to face her. Their eyes locked and Jake stopped breathing. They looked at each other long and hard until Amy moved to put the CD in the player. Her hands fumbled with the case and Jake wondered if she was nervous too.

" _She's nervous? Why should she be nervous? WHAT IS THERE TO BE NERVOUS ABOUT?_ " Jake thought, pacing once again.

As the first song began to play, Amy stood up and looked over at Jake, a softness in her eyes.

"Do you want to sit down?" she asked.

"Uh, no. I'm good here. By the table. My old friend the table. Tableton, as I like to call him" Jake said and then broke into maniacal, panicked laughter.

"Oh, okay" Amy said as she leaned against the wall opposite of him.

Jake looked at her briefly and then looked down at the ground. What was she doing to him? He looked back up and she was innocently biting her lip.

" _What is going on?!_ " he thought, still not believing the situation was real.

"Jake, are you okay?" she asked.

"A-yup! Super good. Very good. Better than good, I am 100% super great! Thanks for asking" Jake said and commanded himself to calm down. He took a deep breath in and steadied himself.

"Storm's kind of crazy, huh?" Amy asked and Jake knew it was another way for her to check in on him. It wasn't enough to be smart and beautiful, but she had to be kind too.

"Yeah, yeah it is. We're gonna be here a while, so I guess we should make the most of it" Jake said in an even tone that surprised him.

"How?" she asked and Jake _swore_ she made her voice huskier. She was driving him insane.

"Talk. I guess"

"About what?" Amy asked.

"Well, uh, what's been going on with you? We haven't really been talking lately"

"Yeah, we haven't. Um, well I got an A on my Government paper" Amy said with a smile.

"Oh, awesome! I got a solid C on my Classic Lit paper so…"

"Jake"

"Yeah?"

"I, um, I also broke up with Teddy" Amy said and Jake saw fire in her eyes. The track changed and a slow, steady beat filled the tiny, candle-lit room.

 _/Have you got color in your cheeks'_

 _Do you ever get the feeling that you can't shift the tide_

 _That sticks around like something's in your teeth_

 _And some aces up your sleeve/_

"You what?" Jake asked in a quiet voice.

"He met his Soulmate. It wasn't me. You were right" Amy said, her voice low and earthy.

 _/Have you no idea that you're in deep_

 _I dreamt about you nearly every night this week_

 _How many secrets can you keep?_

 _'Cause there's this tune I found that makes me think of you somehow_

 _When I play it on repeat_

 _Until I fall asleep_

 _Spilling drinks on my settee/_

Jake moved towards her. He didn't tell his feet to approach her, but they did on their own accord. She stayed still against the wall she leaned against, making no protests to Jake coming closer.

The song played on, it's smooth bass going at the same tempo as Jake's pulse. His vision blurred and the hairs on his skin raised as he got closer to Amy.

 _/So have you got the guts?_

 _Been wondering if your heart's still open and_

 _If so I wanna know what time it shuts_

Amy looked up at him with big, brown eyes and a countenance void of doubt.

"Amy, what are you saying?" Jake asked.

"I'm saying…" she said as her hands slid slowly up from his tummy to his chest to finally landing on his collar…

 _Simmer down and pucker up_

 _I'm sorry to interrupt it's just I'm constantly_

 _On the cusp of trying to kiss you_

 _I don't know if you feel the same as I do_

 _But we could be together, if you wanted to/_

"…That you should kiss me"

"Amy…" Jake said with his heart racing and blood pumping in his ears. He slowly moved closer to her, their noses centimeters apart. Jake placed his hands on each side of Amy's waist. She was warm underneath his fingertips. His grip tightened and he crushed his lips against hers.

Then, the world ended. Or it just started. Jake's atoms exploded inside him and then flew around the space connecting him and Amy. He felt like his body was tearing him apart in order to get closer to Amy's. The only logical thing to do was to kiss her even fiercer. As his entire being dissembled itself, Jake grabbed greedily at Amy and deepened the kiss.

Amy, just as hungry and collapsible as he, eagerly met him and clutched the hair on the the back of his neck. A moan that boarded on a purr escaped her.

Jake felt his skin dance between sensations of fire and ice. Pleasure and pain. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Not any more. Only Amy. Amy. Amy Amy.

At some point Jake felt his molecules reassemble, but they were different. He was different. His cells weren't just his own anymore. They were half Jake and half Amy. She was in his bone marrow, his skin, his DNA. They were one.

They separated and Jake took in the sight of her. She looked different to him now. It was more than just the messy hair, the swollen lips, and the wild look in her eyes. It was her whole being. They were totally, completely, and fully bound now. She was more than herself. They stopped being "one", but were forever "we". Jake understood now.

"Oh, wow" Amy whispered and Jake couldn't help but laugh. She smiled and giggled with him.

"Amy" Jake said, looking into her eyes.

"Jake" she said, looking back.

He kissed her again and both tried desperately to get even closer to each other.

" _Closer…_ " Jake thought and a light bulb went off in his head. He made a move to remove the long sleeve shirt Amy was wearing. A purr of satisfaction went off in his chest when she helped him and then went in for his belt.

 _/Crawling back to you, (do I wanna know?)_

 _If this feeling flows both ways_

 _(Sad to see you go)_

 _Was sorta hoping that you'd stay_

 _(Baby we both know)_

 _That the nights were mainly made for saying_

 _Things that you can't say tomorrow day/_

He quickly took off his hoodie and separated from her for just a moment to take off his shirt. The moment was too long and they crashed back together like waves upon the shore. Amy's hands on his bare skin felt like fire and he prayed to be consumed by her flames.

They fumbled over to the old couch, bumping into the rickety table and other forgotten objects as they went. When they finally made it the place where they would have each other for the first time, they couldn't get each other's remaining clothes off fast enough.

The storm raged on, but no matter how terrible its winds, it could not match the power of the cataclysmic collision that happened inside Savage Vinyl that winter night.

* * *

 **AN:** Yeah, yeah I took forever to update, but I think this chapter kind of makes up for it. ;)


	7. Chapter 6: Start of Time

**AN:** Song for this chapter is "Start of Time" by Gabrielle Aplin. Listen while you read!

* * *

Chapter 6: Start of Time

 _/Oh today I'm just a drop of water  
And I'm running down a mountainside  
Come tomorrow I'll be in the ocean  
I'll be rising with the morning tide/_

 _Amy opened her heavy, sleepy lids in the quiet morning. Her vision was obscured by long, wavy, chestnut-colored hair covering her face._

Whose hair is that? _She asked herself. She realized it was her own and lazily moved her tresses behind her ear. Then, she felt a warm breath graze her lips. As her eyes slowly began to focus, she realized she was snuggled up next to someone, but no one she recognized._

"Samuel _" her mind offered and then "_ Jake! _" after that. She understood now. She was having a dream of her past life, when she was Charlotte Doyle and she was here with her soulmate, Samuel Snowley, now Jake._

 _A wave of warmth and contentment fell over her as she took in her surroundings. She was in a large four poster bed with an intricately designed canopy and thick, lush covers. The room they were in was lavish with expensive furniture and art hanging on the walls. Light escaped the curtains and gave a soft, gentle glow to the whole room. Amy could see the dust particles dance in the air and she almost hummed she was so at peace._

 _She realized she was naked under the covers and briefly got embarrassed before looking back at the sleeping man next to her. He looked so different from Jake. His hair was sandy and wavy. She reached out to touch it and found it soft. Jake's hair was brown, deviously curly, and course. Samuel's nose was buttoned-shaped and his cheekbones were higher than Jake's, but still, she knew they were the same._

 _It must have been the morning after their wedding night, she realized. She had an overwhelming desire to kiss him, to touch him, but his sleeping countenance was so beautiful, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She watched him sleep on silently. The steady rhythm of his breath had her hypnotized as she studied every little detail of his face. Eventually, her need to touch him overpowered her desire not to disturb him, and she found her hand gently caressing his cheek._

 _He began to stir and Amy felt all her insides begin to stir as well. His eyes slowly opened half-way and then all the way. They were a deep emerald color and Amy was sure she'd never seen such a beautiful hue. His eyes focused on her and for a second, he was confused, but then he realized where he was and his mouth revealed the most dazzling of smiles. Within one second, Amy felt her heart break and re-assemble itself back together again. How could a smile have such a power?_

" _Charlotte…" Samuel said in a quiet, warm voice still groggy from sleep. Tears prickled at her eyes. Hearing her lover say her name made her heart soar to new heights._

" _Samuel" she said back and she knew it affected him the same way it had her. There was no purer bliss than this moment._

* * *

 _/I'm an atom in a sea of nothing  
Looking for another to combine  
Maybe we could be the start of something  
Be together at the start of time/_

* * *

Then, Amy really woke up. It took her a moment to adjust from the elegant furnishings of her wedding bed to the drab and dark break room she found herself in. The couch she as lying on was old and offered her spine no support, which now ached with pain. There were no windows for the light to dance in through and the room was far chillier than the one in her dream. Upon this reflection, Amy remembered that after her and Jake made love, they had to immediately dress because it was so cold, but then they both fell asleep in each other's arms.

Despite the less romantic setting, Amy was just as content and peaceful as she had been in her past life. Jake was situated to the side of her against the back rest of the couch. His arms wrapped around her hips and his head rested on her chest. She, again, watched him sleep: calm and serene, with the innocence of a child. She felt her heart swell. She let a hand stroke his hair gently as she felt his chest rise and fall against her.

Lying next to him, she couldn't help but reminisce of her time working at Savage Vinyl. They had both suffered so much for nothing, really. She should have just kissed Jake when he had first suggested it. Her reason against it seemed small compared to the enormity of Soulmates, but she told herself that it was the right thing to do and shrugged it off. They had found each other. Again. That's what mattered.

She smiled to herself. How did they not figure it out sooner? It seemed so obvious now. Holding him felt like the most natural thing in the world, like breathing. She dreaded the moment they had to part from each other. She was sure that once they stopped touching she wouldn't be able to breathe properly and anxiety would fill her. Amy was more than Amy now. Last night had transformed her. Transformed them both. Everything was different.

Jake began to stir. His eyelids tensed and then popped open. He sat straight up, confused about his surroundings, until his eyes landed on Amy. Still startled, his eyes widened, but then softened and his mouth broke into a sweet smile as he remembered where he was.

"Hey" he said, cuddling back up to her.

"Hey" she replied as her hand found its way back to Jake's hair.

"So…big night"

"Really? Felt like it was a little on the mundane side, if you ask me"

Jake lifted his head to reply, but when his eyes locked unto Amy's, the thought left him and his attention went to her lips. He kissed her slowly, as if he was memorizing the shape of her lips. Her hands explored his chest and they released a low moan from Jake. The sound sent vibrations through her being, almost like she made the sound herself.

 _Two halves of the same whole_ , she thought.

Eventually, they separated. Jake, still close to her, pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"How will I ever stop doing that?" he asked.

"Don't try" she said, kissing him again and allowing her hands to be more adventurous. Jake gasped and Amy smiled as she met his lips again.

* * *

Eventually, they couldn't ignore they're buzzing phones anymore ("We can just say they died. I can't believe they're not dead anyway" Jake protested), and Amy broke away from Jake long enough to send an assuring text to Rosa.

They stepped out of the break room and started towards the front doors. The snow was nearly two feet tall along the door, but the roads had been plowed through. The sun was shining and Amy surmised it was fine for them to leave.

When they finally freed themselves from the front door and locked it, they began walking down the deserted street hand-in-hand, with no destination in mind.

"So…you never told me. Did the sad mix make you sad?" Jake asked.

"What?"

"Y'know, the sad mix I made for you" Jake said.

"Oh! Oh, yeah. I cried like a baby. Mind you, I listened to it the night Teddy dumped me…"

"Hmm…I got some bad news for you, Santiago" Jake said, his teasing tone emerging.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"You totally lost our bet"

"What?! No I didn't!" Amy said defensively before accounting the parameters of the bet.

"Oh, yes you did. The happy mix? Made you happy. Sad mix? Turned you into a blubbering mess. And the hot mix? Well, I'm still sore because of what the hot mix did to you" he said with a cocky grin. Amy felt her cheeks go red.

"Shut up! Ugh, fine. No NPR podcasts for a month, whatever"

"Aww, don't be mad. This will just give me plenty of opportunities to introduce you to new music!"

"You'll always have plenty of opportunities, stupid" she said, leaning on his arm.

"Yeah" he said and she could hear his smile.

Amy smiled too, because it was Amy and Jake forever. For the rest of their lives, for the rest of their next lives, and for the next of the lives after that. It was the one thing in the whole entire world that would be true and constant. She never had to fear death, because no matter what, they'd find each other again. Amy stopped in her tracks and Jake stopped with her.

"What's up?" he asked and Amy looked at him. He was different than before. He was changed. He had half of her, just like she had half of him, and she could see the difference in his eyes. There was a wisdom there that could only come from the vivid memories of his past life and the collision of their souls. She wondered if he saw a similar change in her. She certainly felt different.

"I just…I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad it was you" Amy said. She didn't know why she felt the need to tell him this, but knew that she had to. Jake smiled at her and placed a quick kiss on her lips before placing his forehead on hers.

"Me too" he said and she smiled back. Then, wordlessly, they began walking again.

"Dude, all that cosmic, life-changing love-making's got my tummy all rumbly. Let's get food" Jake said. Amy laughed.

"I think there's a twenty-four-hour diner down a couple blocks. It might be open" she said.

They walked with their fingers and souls interlaced, as they would countless times after, content in knowing that once this cycle ended, another one would start. An endless loop together. Their favorite song set on repeat forever.

 _/It's like the sun came out  
It's like the sun came out/_

* * *

 **AN:** First of all, I'M SO SORRY! This fic is a year old (god…) and I just now finished it! I apologize a hundred times. In my defense, I was working two jobs (down to one now, yay!), an internship, AND grad school, so finding the energy for fics has been difficult. I kinda lost my inspiration there too. I have two other fics I started and didn't finish. I've been a bad, bad author :(

Well, I hope you like this chapter! Nice and fluffy. Also, lol what was I thinking with this AU? I combined like five different ones haha.

Thank you guys so much for your reviews! They mean so much! If you are actually reading this chapter, then thank you soooo much for actually coming back to it.

As always, please feel free to follow/contact me on Tumblr (I'm thunder-dor now!). I'd love to talk to you!


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